High-low support skid



May 21, 1946. F AMER 2,400,523

HIGH-LOW SUPPORT SKID Fi l ed May 2. 1945 4 INVENTOR. v gjEANK' AMEE Patented May 21, 1946 PATENT OFFICE I jf n ongLow surro'ar SKID j Frank Amer, United States Navy, La Mesa, Calif. 4 7 Application May 2, 1945; sensitive/591,594

7 Claims. (01. 61-67) (Grantedunderthe act of March 3, 1883, as

amended A ril 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) M This invention relates-to a supporting skid and more particularly'toatyp'eproviding both high and low support'for boats.

Itv is customary to support boats for scraping, paintingand overhaul by means of numerous b1ocks-,. jacks," trestles 'oroth'er similar devices. Such support is slow and cumbersome to provide. The slippingof'the blocks, jacks and trestles is a source of'dah'gerfi The boats being maintained at one elevation is inconvenient; the sides being too high, or the bottom too low, for ease of work. To work one portion of the boat in contact with a support. much time is" required to unsta'ck and restack thesupport; j

Objects of my inventio'nare, therefore, to pro-' vide an improved [support that is quickly and easily available for'use; to promote to the safety of workmen working on the supported object by;

eliminating stackedivmeans of support; topro: V

moteeiiicient'working conditions by providing an improvedjsupport capableof supporting an object at a low level for Work on its sides and at a higher level for work on its bottom; to provide an improved suppor't having a multiplicity of support-- ing members allowing the lowering of individual elements of 'support to enable workto be done at the area of contact with the supported object and to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in a support of thec'haracter and for the purposes set forth. I

In accomplishing theseand other objects of the present invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred form-of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, whereinz' Fig. 1 is a perspective view of 'ahigh-low boat skid embodying the features 'of thepresent invention, showing supporting posts in a relaxed position, such position allowing the reception and support of'a boat by transverse frames. V

Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview ofza high-low' skid embodying the features of the present invention, showing supporting post's upwardly extended to eng'ageand support a boat in an elevated position. U

. Referringmore infde tail tothedrawing:

The high-10w boat skid embodying this inven tion preferably consists of spaced longitudinal skid stringers I of a material strong. enough to support the weight to be. borne, having lower runner surfaces 2 terminating in upwardly curving portions 3. .{Iransverse plates or. frames 4, 5,. and 6 are rigidly mounted. on the stringers I in; a substantially vertical postion the frames having oifset cut-out portions at their lower outer 2Q relaxed as shown in Fig. 1, or vertically extended ends to seat upon the stringers and be supported thereby. The frames are also provided with upper edge surfaces 1, 8, and 9 shaped to conform to the hull of the boat to be'supported.

Wedge or gusset like braces I0, ll, l2, l3, and M are securely bolted or otherwise secured to the frames and stringers to give strength and rigidity to the transverse frames 4, 5, and 6. I j

Hinge blocks I5 are mounted on the stringers adjacent the frames and they, with lock support- 1 ing blocks [6, are secured to the frames], 5, and

6. The lock supporting blocks l6 are vertically arranged in pairs, the blocks being spaced a suificient distance apart to admit therebetween and engage when in an extended position, supporting posts [1, 18, or [9, presently more fully described. The hinge blocks [5 and lock supporting blocks "5 are of the same thickness as the supporting posts l1, l8 and I9.

The supporting posts I'l l8, and [9 may be as shown in Fig. 2 in response to theelevation desired for the supported boat. i

The boat may be supported on the transverse frames 4, 5, and 6 or in an elevated position on posts I1, l8, and IQ of a number, size and material providing ample strength for support of the boat.

The extended ends of the posts", [8, and I9,

and the upper edge surfaces I, 8, and 9 of frames 4, 5, and 6 are padded substantially as shown to protect the bottom of a supported boat.

Hinges 20 pivotally mount the posts [1, ,l8, and I9 on the hinge blocks l5 so as to be vertically extensible. The removable hinge pins 2| permit the removal and substitution of the posts l1, l8, and IS in correlation to the shape of the boat to be supported.

Posts I! are preferably hinged to swing in the ODD Site direction from posts l8 and 19., By pivoting the posts in pposite directions, their folding moments oppose each other and tend to hold the posts in a vertical position when loaded. This tendency serves to supplement a function of the locking devices presently more fully described. It also provides a more compact arrangement of the legs when folded down.

Strap iron receivers 22 are firmly'secured to r outside receiver 23, the passage in the two ire-V ceivers 22, secured to the posts l1, l8, and I9, and the passage in the inward receiver 23 coaxially aligned. Locking pins 24 are inserted through the co-axial passages to lock the posts in an upright position. The locking device consisting of the receivers 22 and 23 and pin 24 is in each case puta distance from the hinge to be locked, sufficient to provide strong supporting leverage.

Upper portions 25 of posts II! are lockably articulated at 26 to posts I9 by hinge and looking device 21 similar in constructionto those previously described, the principal difference being that the locking devices are secured to the inner faces or sides of posts I9, as shown in Fig. 2 while the hinges are secured to the outer faces thereof as shown at 28, Fig. 1. The upper portions 25 of the posts pivot in theopposite direction from the main bodies of the post IQ.

Operation The operation of a high-low boat skid constructed as described'is as follows:

When the sides of a boat areto be worked on, the posts I'I, I8, and I9 are left in a relaxed position, as shown in Fig. 1. The boat is hoisted, then loweredinto position on the transverse plates or frames 4, 5, and 5. The configuration of the upper edge surface- I, ii, and 9 of the frames 4,- and I3 serve to maintain the boat in an upright position.

' When the bottom of the boat is-to be worked on, it is again hoisted. The posts I'I, I8, and I9 are raisedto a vertical position and locked by passing thelocking pins 24 through the co-axial passages in the receivers 22 and 23. The boat is then lowered onto the upwardly extending posts IT, IS, and I9. 7

As Work on a boat bottom progresses, it becomes necessary to work on-the boat at areas of contact with supporting posts. In such a case, the post in the way is unlocked by pulling out the locking pin 24 and the post is folded downout of theway. The boat is supported during such procedure by the multiplicity of remaining vertical posts. When the work onsuch an area is completed, the post is returned to position and locked by inserting supporting pin 24 in receivers 22 and 23 as previously described. Any one of the posts II, I8, and I9 may 50 be lowered to remove it from a working area. In practice, it has been found that all posts lower easily except posts I9 supporting the bow of the boat. As posts I9 are pivoted aft, they tend to bind on the boat as a greater beam is encompassed. This difiiculty has been obviated by providing posts I9 with the lockably articulated upper portions 25 hinged to fold forwardly a the posts fold aft, thus expediting the lowering and subsequent extending of posts I9.

To remove the posts II, I8, and I9 and substitute other posts adapted to conform to the configuration of other types of boats to be supported, the hinge pins 2| are removed, the requisite posts inserted, and the hinge pins 21 returned to place. 7

It is apparent, therefore, that I have provided a high-low boat skid quickly and easily available for use; having improved safety features; providing both low and elevated supporting levels conducive to working efficiency; having a multiplicity of supporting members individually capable ofbeing lowered for work in areas of contact; and having posts .easily interchangeable'permitting the adaptation of the skid to support boats of various shapes in elevated position.

While I have shown but one embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that the device is susceptible to modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I do not wish, therefore, to be limited by the'disclosuresset forth, but only by :the scope of the appended claims.

The invention described herein may be manw 'factured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

I claim:

1. A supporting skid comprising longitudinal skid stringers, a plurality of transverse frames mounted on the stringers adapted to receive and support anobject in a low working position, said stringers and plates constituting a rigid foundation element,and a plurality of supporting posts pivotally mounted on the foundation .element vertically extensible to provide elevated object support.

2. A supporting skid comprising longitudinal skid stringers, a plurality .of transverse frames mounted on the stringers adapted to receive and support an object in a low working position, a pluralityof supporting posts hinged to said transverse frames verti'cally extensible .to provide elevated object support and capable of being lowered singly for work on the supported object at an area of contact therewith.

3. In a supporting skid of the character described, longitudinal skid stringers, a plurality of transverse framesrigidlymounted on the stringers adapted to receive and support an object in a low working position, aplurality of .supporting posts hinged to said transverse frames vertically extensible to provide elevated object support and capable of being lowered singly for work on the bottom of the supported object at an area of contact, and cooperative means on posts and frames for holding the posts in upright position.

4. In a supporting, skid of the character described, longitudinal skid stringers, a plurality of transverse frames rigidly mounted on the stringers in a substantially vertical position adapted to receive and support an object in a 10w working position, aplurality of supporting posts vertically extensible to engage and support the object in an elevated position, hinges to mount the supportin post to the transverseframes permitting the individual lowering of a post at a time to work on the supported object at an area of contact and the lowering of all posts at one time to rest the object on the transverse frames, removable pins for said .hinges enabling the removal and substitution of posts to engage in conformity the configurations of the object to be supported, receivers on said posts and frames, and locking pins engageable with said receivers to lock theposts inextended'position. I

5. A boat skidcomprising longitudinal skid stringers, a plurality of-transverse frames rigidly mounted on the stringers in substantially vertical position adaptedyto receive and support a boat in a low position for convenience in working on its sides, and a plurality of vertically ex,- tensible supporting 'postsj secured to the stringers and frames to engage and-support the boat in an elevated position to facilitate work on the bottom of the boat, certain of the supportin Posts having hinged upper portions expediting the vertical positioning-pf 'thesupporting A boat 'skid com-prising longitudinal "skid stringers, a plurality of transverse frames rigidly mounted on the stringers in substantially vertical position adapted to receive and support a boat in a low position for convenience in working on its sides, and a plurality of vertically extensible supporting posts secured to the stringer and frames to engage and support the boat in an elevated position to facilitate Work on the bottom of the boat, certain of the supporting posts having hinged upper portions expediting the vertical positioning of the supporting posts, means for mountingthe supporting posts on the transverse frames and permitting the lowering of individual posts to work on the boat at point of contact and the lowering of all posts to rest the boat on the transverse frames, removable pins for said hinges enabling the removal and subplurality of supporting posts pivotally mounted on the transverse frames vertically positionable to provide elevated object support, said supporting postsbeing pivoted so as to have opposing folding moments, which communicated through an object being supported, tend to maintain said supporting posts in an extended position.

FRANK AMER. 

